Liquid dispenser



Aug; 15 1950 T. M. cosTAKos LIQUID DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 50, 1949 THEODORE M. COSTAKOS Aug. 15, 1950 'r. M. COSTAKOS 2,519,115

LIQUID DISPENSER Filed March 30, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 u H I II A" III 4 VII/lil III/I THEODORE ML COSTAKOS 'llllllllllwlmn Patented Aug. 15, 1950 1? UNIT ST OFFICE LIQUID DISPENSER 'IlieodbreMi Cistakos, Minneapolis, Minn;

AirplicatiomMarchtO, 1949;,seam ess;= 84mm 7 Int-my QIBViOllSJihl/ehtiOIl, .B'atent; N o.- 2,457 ,53 1-, issued Dec; 28,- ,1948, .a. cupped 'valve bodyyis. incon poratednin theibottomi of, a container adapted. to. holdia supply-l oi-liquidltobedispensed.. This valve. bodyvprovidesa sumpchambercandis AformedLWithadOWnWardIyleadingjdischarge bore. Associated, withssaid valveebody; is-.a lift-valve, including: a valve: sleeve slidablei in. said sump. chamber. and auvalve plug slidablein saiddischargehore. This. lift valve further includes a valve; stem. which. extendsdownwardly through'said .dischargebore Valve. lifting..- means: associated. with said valve stem provides for the raising of thelift valve;by. meansmf areceptacle intowhich achargeofliquidtis (to. be dispensed. A tubular. standhavinga socketed. footing, in the. cupped valve. body, sup.- portsi-a. mounting for vertical adjustment thereonsaid mounting, .in .turn, ,slidably guiding: aclos i re cap for theupper endof thervalve sleeve and:

variably limiting its gravitating,descentltoselecte d edlevels spaced above.the downwardly retracted valvesleeve, When. theliitlvalve is. elevated, the .closure. cap islen'gaged andllift'ediby thevalve sleeve. The. sumpLchamb'en offthe valveibody togather; WitILth e. valve sleeve at themointl of; its. engagementlwith. the closure. cap constitutes. a vesseLf'or. a. measured charge. of liquid received thereby. from. the supply. in. the container',,tl'ie. quantity of. which. is.- determinedby. thev vertical adjustment. offsaidimountingon said. stand in selection of the: limit} of descent. of said closure cap.l' Following, thetengagement of thewascending valve. sleeve. with'tthe. verticallvg movalile. closure capQQthe-valize plugsi'switlidrawn fromtheldischarge. Bore. inthevalve .loodv to. release through said" bore. the. charge. of. liquid. trapped. in said measurihgavesseli'by said'closure cap.. A funnel member. embodied in.the valve. lifting means (11- rects the released chargeofliquidinto the recept'a'cle employed? to actuate said means.

Anobject'of my presentinvention' is to provide an improved construction in dispensers which" is mresi'mp1e, l'ss costly andmore readil'y'cleansed than previously devised constructions; a more spjecific' object' being' to" provide an improvement over myisaid' first: devised construction wherein a simplified form" of closure member'is "adapted to eliminate, among other things, the" standiand: the adjustable mounting thereon for guidingith'e' closure member;

Another" object of" my" present. invention is: to" provide" an improved construction in" liquid" dispensers, wherein; wasteful dripping of the liquid" between' dispensingioperations is'effe'ctively forestalled; a more specific object being tbl provide animprovement" over my said first" devised construction,v wherein" the" funnel member for di'-'- recting: the measured charges of liquid into a mm: (cram-1'28) receptaclei'srvalved at' theibottomthereoflto trap. in said. funnel; member. the. drip fromthe liquidl measuring. valve. after. actuation thereon and thenreleaseitlie. accumulated drip into .theuval'veg actuating. receptacle. employed to effectthe. sue, ceeding. actuation of said. measuring, valve.

Other objects of-therinventionlreside,inrthe, noveL combination. and. arrangementof parts and in. the details. of!v construction. hereinafter: illustrated and/or. described}.

In the drawings,..Efi'g... 11 is. aiside elevational view. of a .li'duiddispenser. constructedLinaccord; ance. with. my. present: invention;., a. portion of, the container.v for. a supply offliduid'. to. be dis; nensedibeing broken away. andlsliowihgw in.- e1e-' vation al portionnof. the valve. mechanism em? ployedin delivering measuredl charges; of; liquid fizom'. the. container.;.. Fi'g=..2lis. aufragment'ary sec.- tion'a'fview, taken. asv ontli'e line"2'-.2T of. Fig.1; showingilin. plan the. valve. mechanism; for delivering, liquid from the containers. me, 3 is a perspective view in dt'ailLofTthe valve mechanism. shown in Fig. 1;,said"view heihg,partially broken away to reveal'l'tlie internal; construction .oflsaidi mechanism; Eig,.. his awertiba'lfsectionallview illustratingtlie parts of. said? valve. mechanism, in their'relative disposition atone. stageii'ntlie operation off said mechanism, said. parts.v Being arranged'to. deliver aimeasuredclriarge. ofjliqiiid ofminimum quantity;.Fig7 sin a view similar. to Fig; .4 showing-the same parts similarly. arranged but diiferehtlyrelatively disposed at.' a sub's'e-- quent'stage in theroperation. ofthe. device: Figs: 6"and7Tare viewslsiinilar to4.F'igs.-4.andI5;.re}- spectivelyibut with the clbsureplat'e for the valve sleeveiinverteditb ,efictltl'ie deliveryofliquid'fiii charges offmaximumquantity,

Referring to the accompanying: drawings; it will lie. seen 1 that. the illustrated emhodi'm'ent'of' my, present ihventionincludes .a, container- A for a supply ofiliquidlsucli as cream, to be dispensed" in. measured quantitiesvint'o. receptacles. such: as a coffee cup mi,shownlindbttedlihes. inFIQB; or. suchas an individual .cream..pitc1'ier.. I llshown dottedflines. in Eignli. Thecontainer A.fcon-.-v sistsof a double-walled'cylindricallhodv, l2'h'av- Labracliet' l3. secured't'o one-side. thereoffand formed with a depending stud. IA removabl'y socketc]... in "the. upper. end? of. a. tubular. leg. l5 standing. on a base. memlierv IBI Supported on' the leg 15; the Body" I Z'of .said container. A" isheldi axiallv, uprightdn aposition-elevatedlto accomm'odat'the placement ofamecept'aclbeneath the. same. Saidi'container A isopen at the top aind normally" closed" By? a lid l 1 which is removahle from the container to: adiniif'of' the introduction ofliquid-ithereinto"and tb provide acceSsIto the interior thereof.

A valve mechanism B includes a valve body i8 of cup-like formation incorporated in the bottom of the container A, the upwardly opening cavity in said cupped valve body l8 providing a sump chamber I9 for the liquid supply chamber 29 in the container A. Depending axially from the valve body It is a boss 2| which has an axial discharge bore 22 therein leading downwardly from the sump chamber I9.

A lift valve b fitted to the valve body l8 comprises an axially upright valve sleeve 23 slidable vertically in the sump chamber l9, an axially upright valve plu 24 slidable downwardly into and upwardly out of the discharge bore 22, and a valve stem 25 depending from the valve plug 24 and extending downwardly through said discharge bore 22, said valve stem 25 being removably threadedly connected with said valve plug 24 and disposed coaxially with respect thereto. Radial arms 26 fast at their outer ends to the valve'sleeve 23 and fast at their inner ends to the valve plug 24 connect said valve sleeve 23 and valve plug 24 together leaving an annular space intervening between them.

' The lift valve b is self-movable downwardly by gravity to effect the retraction of the valve sleeve 23 into the sump chamber l9 along with the lowering of the valve plug 24 into the discharge bore 22, said lift valve b bein raised, as

will later appear, to effect the upward projection 3 of said valve sleeve 23' from the sump chamber l9 along with the upward withdrawal of said valve plug 24 from said discharge bore 22.

To limit the gravitating descent of the lift valve b and to render the valve mechanism B liquid-tight when said lift Valve 1) is in its lowermost position, the lower portion of the valve plug 24 is externally beveled as at 21, and said discharge bore 22 is formed with a correspondingly beveled reduction 23, the same constituting a seat for said beveled portion 21 of said valve plug 24.

Normally resting on the bottom 29 of the container A is a closure plate 30 having an intermediate cap portion 3| and marginal end portions 32. This closure plate 39 is provided at its extremities with flanges 33 extending at right angles relative to the plate proper, said flanges forming legs for the plate 30. Said closure plate 30 may be inverted either to bring the legs 33 thereon into an operative position resting on the bottom 29 of the container A and supporting the closure plate 30 at a relatively high elevation with respect to the bottom of the container (Figs. 1 and 6), or to bring said legs 33 into an upwardly extending position of disuse, whereby the closure plate proper rests directly upon the bottom 29 of the container at a relatively low elevation with respect thereto (Fig. 4).- The intermediate cap portion 3| of the closure plate 30 is of an area sufflciently large to cover the upper end of the valve sleeve 23 and close the same at the top thereof against the influx thereinto of liquid from the chamber 20 of the container A. Said cap portion 3| of the closure plate 39 is formed with an aperture 34 centrally thereof in which is slidably received a centering post 35 upstanding from the valve plug 24. This centering post 35 retains the closure plate 30 in position transversely of the container A, wherein said cap portion 3| of said plate is disposed directly above the valve sleeve 23 with the marginal portions 32 of said plate 39 overreaching the bottom 29 of the container A at opposite sides of said valve sleeve 23. In this connection, it is to be noted that in the normal retracted position of the valve relative to said valve stem 25.

' downward movement of said filler element 36 sleeve 23, the upper edge of said sleeve is downwardly spaced from said closure plate 30 in both of its said high and low positions to admit liquid from the container into said sleeve 23. In either of said high and low positions of the closure plate 30, the cap portion 3| thereof is engaged by the upper edge of the valve sleeve 23 and lifted by said sleeve as the lift valve b is raised, such engagement of said valve sleeve 23 with said closure cap 30 occurring before the withdrawal of the valve plug 24 from the discharge bore 22 in the valve body 18. Thus, all of the liquid contained in the sump chamber l9 and in the upwardly projected valve sleeve 23, at the time of engagement of said valve sleeve 23 with said closure plate 30, becomes a trapped charge of liquid in quantity of accurate measurement ready to flow out of the discharge bore 22 as soon as said bore is cleared by the valve plug 24. ,In other words, at the stage of ascent of the valve sleeve 23, just prior to the engagement of said sleeve with the closure plate 39, the sump chamber I9 and the upwardly projected valve sleeve 23 form a vessel which is filled from the liquid supply and measures out a definite quantity of the liquid, said measured quantity of the liquid being segregated in said vessel from the main supply of liquid in the container by the closure plate 39 for subsequent delivery to occur upon the clearing of the discharge bore 22 by the valve plug 24.

As previously indicated, the lift valve b is elevated through the medium of a receptacle into which a measured charge of liquid is to be dispensed from the discharge bore 22 of the valve body l8. To this end, I provide means on the valve stem 25 adapted to be engaged by the rim of a receptacle and lifted to elevate said lift valve I). Said means includes a breast member C embodying a tubular filler element 36 in the form of a funnel downwardly tapered interiorally and exteriorally thereof, the upper open end of said filler element 36 being relatively wide to catch the liquid flowing from the discharge bore 22 in the valve body l8. At the bottom of the filler element 36 is a relatively narrow valve opening 37 for the egress of liquid from said element 3i. This filler element 33 has a mounting sleeve 38 therefor coaxially disposed with respect thereto and is connected with said mountin sleeve 38 by means of radial arms 39 extending from the wall of said element 36 to said sleeve 38. This mounting sleeve 38 is slidably mounted on the valve stem 25, the valve plug 24 being engaged by the upper end of said sleeve 38 to limit the upward movement of the filler element 36 The reverse or with respect to the valve stem 25 is limited by the engagement of the bottom of the element 36 with a valve head 4|] on the valve stem 25 at the lower end thereof. In this connection, it is to be noted that when said valve head 40 is thus engaged by the filler element 35, the valve opening 31 in said element is closed by said valve head 40.

The external tapering of the filler element 35 enables its lower marginal portion to be received within the mouth of a relatively small receptacle such as an individual cream pitcher, while at the same time providing for the engagement of the rim of such receptacle with a higher portion of said filler element 36, whereby the filler element may be caused to be lifted by the receptacle upon an upward thrust thereof. The initial upward movement of the filler element 33, im-

I slides-said filler" elenient upwardly on the valve 813311 25? moved I along said stem. 25, "the:

filler element 3 6- clears the=- valve --openii1g '31 thereinfrom the "valve head 41] on the valve stem sleevefill against' the valve plug 242 e 'l hereafter the continuing upward movement. of said: filler:

element= 3ii llfts the lift valve b' and continues so was until tlie rim-' 3'6 of said element it'fi strikes tlie b'ottom of thevalve body l8. This-engage n'i'ent o'f the filler elment 3 6- withwsaidvalve' body; of course, arrests the upward actuating thrust f"the liquid-receiving receptacle" and the: lifting of the lift valve b. i

1s: addition to the fillerelementifllhl have further einbodied imthemrea'stmember:olxaupair or;

contact: arm's 41 (Fig. 3-9- Which are removably attachedto the-filler element 3min positionlexs tendlng radially outward therefrom. above the N fill'en elementtfi and.which.is=:removably heIdLin place? thereon by screwing; theiarmstt into: the. mounting! ring 42-,toadvance their. inner extremities S into se'at-forming cavities 44 in the. wallofi said filler element. 36.

Fig; 40f the drawing: showsthe-lift valve b.

lifted, astby a receiving; receptacle (not. shown) thrust": upwardly. against the fillerelement 36,,

and raised: to an elevation wherein the upper edge. ofi the valve: sleeve- 23: makes contact with the-closure plate rttiins its: lownormal disposition with: the. platevproperl resting,- directly upon the. bottom-l 29s of the container; A. and; with. the legs on? saidzplate extending upwardly in disuse. Atthiszstage. in the: operation of: the: mechanism,

theivalvempeninga 3:1. in the filler. element 3 6 Will. have; been. opened to: deliver into the: receiving.-

recept'acle any, liquid that may have drained; or dripped into said fillen element. 345 after, the. preceding;operation',,and toqready said filler. element.

afi-gfon delivery of the next. measured charge of liquid: to flow. into itcf-rom the container A-..

Eig. 5 shows1 the. lift. valve "0: at itsupper limit; of, movement-,. wherein. the liquid: trapped by the closure; plate. 30 in themeasuring, vessel ,formed by the sleeveltandsump-ohamber l9isfree to flow out of the. discharge. bore 22, now cleared by the; valve plug 2 3, into the filler. member. St and. thence through the valveopening 31in saidflller member-3S. into the receptacle upwardly pressed against the breast member C to receive. such liquid) ,Pig. fi corresponds withFig.4, except that the clbsureplate. till is. shown-inverted to bring the legs; 3' 3. thereon to bear upon the bottom 29- of :1

the container. A. and. thereby hold said. closure platetilin itslrelatively high position: as comparedv with the relatively, low position thereof shown in: said Fig. 4. This difference in the. normal. disposition of the closure plate 3!), as previously explained, results inmeasuring out the. liquid i'n'charges of the lesser or the greater quantity. Fig. 7, like. Fig..5, shows the lift valve b at the limit of its upward movement.

For sanitary reasonsta-nd; tokeep the mountareeasilyreassembledi ing sleevewE' free" to slide: rename-me valve stem Zl'rQthe-valvexplflg Zfiis formed with a de pending annular flange AB -defining arecessflt in the bottom" of said: plug 24 The: upper end.

of said mounting sleeve 38 plays-up. -and down" within the depth of said recess -46 iree= from contact with the inner surface: of said flange- 15.- Thus, none of the -liquid leaving the discharge bore-*2? will conta'ct theupper end of the mount ing sleeve 38 or the valve stem: "above' said: sleeve: Preferably the flange liizwill be beveled internally? as at- 4T; opposition to the-seating bevel '2 l te provide a knife edge 48 for minimiz ingthe accumulation of liquid atth'e' bottbm of the valve plug z litb drip therefrominto the filler element 361 The instantstructure is readily cleansed; thefew parts thereof" being easily disassembled fb'r such purpose; Afterthe container A- has beenemptiedof'it'ssupply of" liquid, the-valve-stam 25 is unscrewed from the valve plug 24 and the breast member Cremoved from said stem 2-5. From the top" of the container A, theclosure plate-3i: and lift valve b are removed therefrom;

- Thus; the container and said removed-parts-are individually; accessible throughout for the con-- venient and thoroughcleansing thereof. Revers-- ing the order of disassembly, the-cleansed parts Gha-nges in the specific form of my invention;

as herein de'scribedj may be made" within the" ward retraction thereinto' and for upward pro-- iectiontherefrom; and a valve stem connected with said valve sleeve and extending downwardlythrough said discharge here, means associated with" the valve stembeneaththe' container :"or elevating the lift val've, said liftvalve further 111-- cl'uding a valve plug connected with said valve stem and downwardly movable intosaid boreto obstructthe same upon the descent of the liftvalve' and upwardly movable out of said bore to clear the same upon the elevation of the lift valve,- a' closure platehavingan intermediate cap portion over-reachingthe upper end ofthe valve sleeve and having marginal portions adapted to rest o'n the bottom of the-container at either side i of saidsleeve normally to support said" cap portiom of said plate upwardly spaced; from saidupper end' of the retraoted' sleeve, said capportion of the-closure plate beingadapted to be enga'ged' 'bv the: upper end of the ascending valvesleeve and to close thesame, said closure plate being". liiited from the b0'tt0m'. of. the? container by the valve. sleeve upon: its engagement: with said-caplportiomoi said closure plate; said sump: chamber: and valve sleeve forming; avessel: for measuring liquid flowing thereint'o from: said: con-a tainer, saidIvessel-beingsealed=off from. the liquid supply upon-engagement. of sa-idzvalve sleeve withssaid closureplate; thereby to traplwithimsaidgves sel its measured charge of liquid, the clearing of said discharge bore by said plug following the engagement of said valve sleeve with said closure plate to release from the dispenser said measured charge of liquid.

2. A dispenser, as defined inclaim 1, including a centering stem for the closure plate, upstanding from and movable with the valve sleeve, said closure plate having an aperture therein slidably receiving said centering stem.

3. A dispenser, as defined in claim 1, including legs on the closure plate atone side thereof, said closure plate being adapted to be inverted either to bring said legs to bear on the bottom of the container or to bring them into upwardly projecting position of disuse, thereby to change the normal disposition of the closure plate from a relatively low elevation to a relatively high elevation and thus provide for the variable measurement of charges of liquid to be delivered from the dispenser.

4. A dispenser, as defined in claim 1, including means on the closure plate adapted to support it on the bottom of the container at a relatively high elevation providing a second normal disposition thereof to effect measurement of the charges of liquid in relatively large quantity.

5. In a dispenser, a container for a supply of liquid, valve mechanism adapted to dispense from the container successive charges of the liquid, said valve mechanism comprising a valve body in the bottom of said container, said body having a discharge bore therein opening downwardly therefrom, a lift valve including a valve plug downwardly movable to obstruct said discharge i,

engaged by the rim of a receptacle into which a i charge of liquid is to be dispensed, said breast member embodying a filler element open at the top thereof for the reception of liquid from said discharge bore and having a valve opening in the bottom thereof for the egress of such liquid from said element into said receptacle, said filler element being mounted on said stem to descend therealong by gravity, said valve head being adapted to be engaged by the descending filler element to arrest its descent and to close the valve opening therein, and stop means adapted to arrest the lifting of said filler element relative to said stem after the valve opening in the ascending filler element has cleared the valve head on said stem.

6. A dispenser, as claimed in claim 5, in which the filler element of the breast member is of downwardly tapered funnel-like formation for the reception of its lower portion by a receptacle into which liquid is to be dispensed and for the circumferential engagement of said element by the rim of such receptacle.

'7. A dispenser, as claimed in claim 5, in which the breast member includes at least one contact arm radiating from the filler element for engagement by the rim of a receptacle into which liquid is to be dispensed.

8. A dispenser, as claimed in claim 5, in which the filler element of the breast member is of downwardly tapered funnel-like formation for the reception of its lower marginal portion by a relatively small receptacle into which liquid is to be dispensed and for circumferential engagement of said element by the rim of such receptacle, said filler element having at least one contact arm radiating therefrom at an elevation above said lower marginal portion thereof for engagement by the rim of a relatively large receptacle into which liquid is to be dispensed.

9. A dispenser, as claimed in claim 8, in which the one at least of said contact arms is adapted to be readily attached to said filler element for use or detached therefrom when its use in con nection with relatively large receptacles is not required.

10. A dispenser, as claimed in claim 5, in which the filler element is mounted on a coaxially disposed sleeve, and said sleeve is slidably mounted on the valve stem, said sleeve being adapted at its upper end to engage the valve plug, said valve plug and sleeve constituting the stop means for arresting the lifting of the filler element relative to the valve stem.

11. A dispenser, as claimed in claim 10, wherein the valve plug is formed with a depending annular drip-flange defining a recess in the bottom of said valve plug, the upper end of said mounting sleeve playing within the confines of said recess and free from contact with said flange.

12. In a dispenser, a container for a supply of liquid, valve mechanism adapted to dispense from the container successive charges of the liquid, said valve mechanism comprising a valve body in the bottom of said container, said body having a discharge bore therein opening downwardly therefrom, a lift valve including a valve plug downwardly movable to obstruct said discharge bore upon the gravitating descent of said lift valve and upwardly movable to clear said discharge bore upon the elevation of said lift valve, a valve stem extending downwardly from said valve plug and out of said discharge bore, said valve stem having valve head thereon at the lower portion thereof, means associated with the valve stem for elevating said lift valve, said means including a breast member adapted to be engaged by the rim of a receptacle into which a charge of liquid is to be dispensed, said breast member embodying a filler element open at the top thereof for the reception of liquid from said discharge bore and having a valve opening in the bottom thereof for the egress of such liquid from said element into said receptacle, a sleeve disposed coaxially of said filler element, said filler element being mounted on said sleeve, said sleeve being siidably mounted on said stem, said filler element being adapted to descend along the stem by gravity, said valve head being adapted to be engaged by the descending filler element to arrest its descent and to close the valve opening therein, said sleeve being adapted at its upper end to engage the valve plug, said valve plug and sleeve constituting stop means adapted to arrest the lifting of said filler element relative to said stem after the valve opening in the ascending filler element has cleared the valve head on said stem and an annular drip-flange depending from said valve plug substantially coaxially relative to said sleeve, said drip-flange having an inside diameter substantially greater than the outside diameter of said sleeve.

THEODORE M. COSTAKOS.

No references cited. 

